This Date in Football: Happy Birthday, LaDainian Tomlinson!

On this date in football, June 23, 2012, LaDainian Tomlinson turns 33 years old. The fifth leading rusher in NFL history gave himself the gift of rest and relaxation this year, retiring this week after signing a ceremonial one-day contract with San Diego. Most fans will always think of Tomlinson as a Charger, which he was for 9 of his 11 NFL seasons. In 2001 San Diego selected him with a draft choice it obtained by sending that year’s first overall pick to Atlanta, which drafted Michael Vick. Today we wish Tomlinson a happy birthday, and look back at an excerpt from the Top Ten Draft Trades — detailing the mega-deal that helped bring him to San Diego, with whom Tomlinson signed his first and last NFL contracts.